Safety when using Snapchat

A recent update to Snapchat has introduced a map to allow friends to see your location.

This location based map allows users to see where in the country their Snapchat contacts are, as well as seeing location based photos and videos. The Snap Map shows a user’s Bitmoji, their cartoon avatar within Snapchat, pinpointed on a world map. Users can then zoom into the map to see the exact location of their friends, right down to the house on a street.

We advise that your child uses this feature in 'ghost mode' so that noone in their contacts can see their location.

Shariing your location can be a risky thing to do.

Our tips for location sharing are:

Only share your location with people you know in person. Never share your location with strangers.

Don’t add contacts to Snapchat if you don’t know them in person.

Regularly review your settings and take an active decision about whether you want people to know your location. Remember you can switch this off at any time. Think about where you’re sharing your location. Location services such as Snap Maps can lead people to your house. Think about what times you’re on the app and whether these are locations you want to share – if not, then turn this off within your settings.